Brick-truck.



W. H. BARNES.

BRICK TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912. '1 59 Patented June 10, 1913.

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W. H. BAR

BRICK TRUCK.

Patented June 10, 1913.

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W. H. BARNES.

BRICK TRUCK.

- Patented June 10, 1913.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1 91 3.

Application filed May 16, 1912. Serial No. 697,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BARNEs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of \Vashington, have invented certain has for an object to'provide a truck adapted to engage a course or tier of bricks as piled in the brickyard or in other position, and to transport said tier of brick from such position without the necessity of manually handling said brick either to load the same upon the truck or to unload.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brick truck having means for engaging the lower bricks in a course or tier and means for supporting the bricks above said lower tier when lifted from the bottom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carriage having fingers adapted to be inserted between bricks spaced in predetermined relation upon the ground or. other base with mechanism for tightening the fingers upon such spaced bricks to grip the same and means above such fingers for supporting the superposed bricks.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with a supporting frame of forwardly extending fingers adapted to be inserted between bricks spaced in predetermined relation with improved means carried by the supporting portion for clamping the fingers upon such spaced bricks.

With these and other objects in View the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved brick truck. Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the brick engaging portion with the carriage or truck disengaged. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation showing the means for actuating the gripping fingers. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the gripping fingers. Fig. 5 is .a transverse sectional View through two of the gripping fingers associated in operative relation. Fig. 6 is a view mtop plan of the rock shaft for actuating the gripping fingers. Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation of the rock shaft. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the gripping arms showing the yielding connection. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the yielding connection used at the joint in the engaging arms Fig. 10 is a view of the top of the yieldmg arms shown in edge elevation. Fig. 11 1s a perspective view of a slightly different embodiment of the gripping fingers. Flg. 12 is a view in end elevation showing the operation of the embodiment of gripping fingers shown in Fig. 11.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The present invention embodies a frame or deck 20 mounted upon a truck comprismg bearing wheels-21, handles 22 and proper bracing means connecting the same. Upon the rear of the deck 20 a plurality of arms 23 are pivoted as at 24 such arms crossing and their' extremities normally contacting as at 25' except the outer extremities 26 which have no mates with which to contact. The several arms 23 carry forwardly extending fingers 27 which project beyond the lines of the deck 20 and into position for being inserted between spaced bricks. The fingers 27 are provided with lugs 28 which normally overlap, as shown in Fig. 5, and extend above the surface of the adjacent finger. The result of such arrangement of the lugs 28 is that pressure exerted upon the tops of the fingers bears upon the tops of the lugs 28- and tends to move the said fin- .gers upon their supporting pivots 29 to diverge the bottom to more firmly grip against the sides of the brick between which such fingers are inserted. To cause the fingers to grip against the adjacent bricks a rock shaft 30 is journaled in the rear of the deck 20 and provided with a lever 31 by which the said rock shaft may be rotated in its bearings.

, The rock shaft comprises a Hat bar 32 which engages under lugs 33 carried upon offsets 34 which form a part of the upper ends of the engaging arms 23. The result offsets 34 whereby the lower ends of the engaging arms 23 are separated to grip the intervening bricks. It is desirable under certain conditions to employ a certain degree of yielding in such grlppin action for which purpose the offset 35 1s p1voted to the arms 23 at 36 and a spring 37 embraclng a bolt 38 which said bolt 38 is pivoted to the arm 23 at 39 and asses through an eye 40 formed upon the 0 set 35. The flat rock bar 32 engages between spaced lugs 41 carried upon such ofi'set whereby the offsets 35 may be raised or lowered by the actuation of such rock shaft. It will be apparent too that the normal tension of the springs 37 will tend to hold the engaging arms in the relation shown at Figs. 5 and 8 and that they are separated slightly to' engage the adjacent bricks by raising the offsets 35.

For use especially in handling green or unbaked brick a slightly modified form of engaging finger is found desirable. Such finger is shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and com prises the pivoting bolt 29 having a plurality of fingers 42 pivoted thereon some- What in the form of a letter X so that the upper points of such fingers engage against the adjacent surfaces of the spaced bricks as well as engage under the bottom surfaces of the superposed bricks which causes the fingers to expand so that the bottoms of such fingers also engage against the adjacent sur faces of the spaced bricks.

In operation the bottom course of bricks must be piled in proper spaced relation and above this bottom course of brick a course may be built to any desired height and of any desired or convenient formation. The transporting carriage is moved up to the pile of bricks so arranged and the fingers 27 or 42 inserted into the spaces between the spaced bricks as shown in the bottom course. The lever 31 is now actuated and drawn toward the operator and if found desirable hooked under the hook 43. This exerts tension upon the arms 23 to moveapart those ends carrying the overlapping fingers whereby, as before explained, the bottom course of the bricks is engaged. The engaging of the bottom course serves to lift all of the brick superposed upon such bottom course, the weight of the superposed brick tending to more firmly grip the fingers upon the bottom course by pressing upon the lugs 28 as shown in Fig. 5, or upon the fingers 42 as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In other words, the greater the weight of the superposed brick the greater the gripping tension upon the bottom course. The bottom course being thus engaged the entire course maybe lifted carefully by depressing the handles 22 whereby the course is tilted backwardly to engage against the deck 20. When in such inclined-or recumbent position it may be transported from the original position and restored to an upright position by reversing the operation and releasing.

-I claim 1. In a brick truck, a deck, bearing wheels supporting the deck, crossed arms pivoted at the back of the deck, fingers carried by the arms projecting beneath and in front of the deck, and means to move the arms pivotally to cause the fingers to engage adjacent sides of spaced bricks.

2. In a brick truck, a deck, supporting wheels for the deck, crossed arms pivoted in the rear of the deck and provided with offsets, fingers carried at the lower-extremities of the arms projecting beneath and in front of the deck, and a rock shaft engaging the offsets adapted to move the arms upon their pivots.

3. In a brick truck, a deck, supporting wheels for the deck, crossed arms pivoted in the rear of the deck and extending below the deck, fingers carried at the lower extremities of the arms and projecting forwardly of the deck, means carried by the fingers for engaging the under sides of supported bricks, means whereby the engagement of the under sides of such supported bricks causes the fingers to expand to engage adj acent sides of spaced bricks, and offsets carried at the upper ends of the arms, a rock shaft journaled in the rear of the deck and engaging the offsets, and means to actuate the rock shaft.

4. In a brick truck, a deck, a supporting carriage, arms pivoted at the rear of the deck and extending downwardly below the lower edge of the deck, fingers carried at the lower ends of the arms and extending beneath and forwardly of the deck, a rock shaft journaled upon the back of the deck,

and means whereby the rotation of the rock I shaft moves the arms.

5. In a brick truck, a deck, a supporting carriage for the deck, arms crossed and pivoted upon the back of the deck and extending below the edge thereof, fingers secured 6. In a brick truck, a deck, a supporting carriage for the deck, crossed arms pivoted upon the back of the deck and extending below the edge thereof, fingers secured to the lower extremities of the arms and extending beneath and forwardly ofthe deck, oflset members extending horizontally from the upper ends of the arms, lugs carried by the offset members and a rock shaft journaled upon the back of the deck and positioned to engage the lugs.

7. In a brick-truck, a deck, a supporting 10 the arms, lugs carried by the 0 carriage for the deck, crossed arms pivoted upon the back of the deck and extending at their lower ends below the edge thereof,

fingers carried by the arms extending be-- .neath and forwardly of the deck, portions pivotally connected to the upper ends of the arms and ofiset therefrom normally in substantially horizontal position, resilient connection. between the offset iportions and set portions,

and a rock shaft journaledupon the rear of the deck, such rock shaft having cam engagement with the lugs of the ofiset portions.

In testimony whereof I ,aflix my signature \15.

in. presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BARNES.

Witnesses:

H. E. SMITH, H. L. GYFORD. 

